Archbishopric of Ethiopian Orthodox Church in Jerusalem (AEOCJ)

Corporate body

Archbishopric of Ethiopian Orthodox Church in Jerusalem (AEOCJ)

1951-Present

Until the middle of 20th century, the Ethiopian Orthodox community in Jerusalem was led by an abbot, appointed by the Ethiopian monarchy. He was in charge of the Ethiopian monasteries in Jerusalem and Jericho. In 1951, a new organization of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church was established and new dioceses were defined in Ethiopia and aboard. The diocese of Jerusalem, including all Ethiopian Orthodox communities in Holy Lands, was created with its headquarter in the old city of Jerusalem. Thus, the Ethiopian Orthodox community was not anymore led by an abbot but a bishop. The Jerusalem bishopric was later upgraded to Archbishopric from 1959.
Some Ethiopian Bishops:

• Filppos (1951-1966)
• Yosef (1966-1972)
• Matéwos (1972-1977)
• Matthias (1979-1982; 2009-2013)
• Selama (1982-1984)
• Gabriel (1998-2001)
• Kewistos (2002-2005)

The Archbishopric of Ethiopian Orthodox Church in Jerusalem organizes and supervises the religious activities of the Ethiopian Orthodox communities in Israel and in Jerusalem. It also manages the different properties that the Ethiopian Orthodox Church acquired in Israel and Jerusalem.

ISAAR (CPF), 2nd Edition, 2004.

Entry prepared on January 2018

• Pedersen, Kirsten. The History of the Ethiopian Community in the Holy Land from the Time of Emperor Tewodros II till 1974. Jerusalem: The Ecumenical Institute for Theological Research, 1983.
• Ancel, Stéphane and Lemire, Vincent. « New Sources on the Ethiopian Christian Community in Jerusalem, 1840–1940 », Jerusalem Quarterly, vol. 71, 2017, pp. 106-119.

Author(s) : Stéphane Ancel